Air-compressor



A(No Model.)

' F. M. GRAHAM.

l l Am COMPRESSOR.

fNo. 592,586. Patented oet. 26, 1897.

Nrrnn STATES AfrnNr rriGE FRANCIS M. GRAHAM, OF SAN JOS, CALIFORNIA. n

AiR-ooMPRl-:ssoa/ SPECIFICATION' forming part of Letters atent No. 592,zo, dated October `2, 1897-.

Application filed January 13, 1897. Serial No. 619,066. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS M. GRAHAM, a citizen of the United States,residing at San Jose, in the county of' Santa Clara and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Compressors; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof.

The present invention relates to a certain new and useful apparatus forcompressing air, gas, dto., which consists in the arrangement of partsand details of construction, as will be hereinafter fully shown in thedrawings and described and pointed out in the claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivecompressing apparatus which shall be so constructed as to be operatedbya body of water flowing through a stand-pipe.

In order fully to comprehend my invention, reference must be had to theaccompanying sheet of drawings, forming a part of this application,wherein- Figure lis a front view in elevation, partly broken away. Fig.2 is a side view in elevation, and Fig. 3 is a top plan View showing theelevator for the cups and the upper end of the inlet and outlet pipes.

In the drawings the letter A is used to indicate the main verticalstand-pipe, which pipe is of any suitable length-say one hundred (100)or more feet-depending upon the compression. desired, and about ten (l0)inches, more or less, in diameter. The lower end of the main verticalstand-pipe is outwardly flanged, as shown at a, and said end isconnected to the flanged end a of the curved joint A by means of thecoupling B. The coupling B is slightly larger in diameter than thediameter of the pipe A. To the opposite flanged end h of the joint A isconnected, by

means of the coupling B', the lower flanged end b of the vertical pipeB2. This pipe, while running parallel with the main vertical pipe A, isconsiderably less in length, extending upwardly about two-thirds of theheight of the said main pipe. The coupling B', like the coupling B, isslightly larger in diameter than the vertical pipe B2, although saidpipe is equal in diameter to that of the main pipe A. This pipe B2constitutes the outlet-pipe,

and hereinafter shall be so designated, the main pipe A being termed theinlet-pipe. Within the siphonic passage-way b2V thus formed by theinlet-pipe A, the outlet-pipe B2, and the connected joint A are fitted,so as to move freely therein, the cups B3, one end of which is opened.These cups are of such a size as to move easily Within the passagewayh2, and in length they are about ten inches long. The size of the cups,it will be understood, will vary in accordance with the diameter of thepipes A and B2.

Vithin the upper face of the curved joint A is cut a series of slots d,which are covered by the chambers d. These chambers each communicate bypipes d2 with the re- 'ceiver D, located a short distance above thecurved joint A and between the pipes A and B2, as shown.

Asthe cups B3 enter the inlet or main pipe A the pressure of the body ofwater flowingtherethrough forces the cups downward within the main pipe,through the curved joint, and up the outlet-pipe until forced therefrom,which it does as the outlet end of this pipe is considerably below theinlet end of the pipe A. The cups B3 as discharged from within theoutlet-pipe fall into a tapering open-bottom receptacle D', secured atthe upper end of the outlet-pipe. Below this receptacle runs the endlessconveyor D2, which travels over the rolls E E', located, respectively, ashort distance below the receptacle D and a short distance above theinlet-pipe A. As the cups fall to the bottom of the receptacle they resthorizontally upon the endless carrier or conveyor D2 and are removedfrom within the receptacle D as they are engaged by one of the teeth orprojections f, carried by the conveyer.

The cups as carried over the upper roll E' are discharged into theinclined chute or runway EZ, secured to the upper end of the inletpipeA, by means of which inclined chute or runway the cups are turned from ahorizontal to a vertical position with the open end downward, in whichposition they enter the inlet-pipe A. These cups contain the air or gas,dec., which is to be compressed. As carried downward within the inletpipe the pressure of the water therein, the cups being in a verticalposition with the open end down- IOC) ward, serves to prevent the air orgas escaping from within the cups. However, as the cups arey tilted overas forced into and through the curved joint the air or gas graduallyescapes from within the cups, and being lighter than the Water finds anoutlet from Within the curved joint through the slots d into thechambers d', from which chambers it escapes into the receiver throughthe pipes d2.

The compressed air or gas is led from the receiver to any convenient ordesired place by means of the outlet-pipe F. y l The position of thecups as carried through the curved joint is gradually reversed, for theyenter therein with the open end downward and are discharged therefrominto the outlet-pipe with the open end upward, the cups being thuscompletely turned over, so that all gas or air discharged thereby willbe completely expelled therefrom.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure protection in by Letters Patent, is

, l. In a compressing apparatus, the combination with the verticalwater-inlet pipe, of the vertical Water-outlet pipe of less length thanthe inlet-pipe, the curved joint united to the lower ends of the inletand outlet pipes, of air-escape openings formed in said joint, areceiver located above 4the said joint, air-pipe connection between thereceiver and the escapeopenings of the joint, and the cups fitted to:move within the passage-way formed by the pipes and curved joint.

2. In a compressing apparatus, the combination with the verticalwater-inlet pipe, of the vertical water-outlet pipe of less length. thanthe Water-inlet pipe, the curved joint united to the lower ends of theinlet and outlet pipes, of air-escape openings formed in the curvedjoint, a receiver loca-ted above the said joint, air-pipe connectionbetween the receiver and the escape-openings of the joint, the cupslitted to move within the passageway formed by the pipes and the curvedjoint, and of the elevator or conveyer which receives the cups asdischarged from the water-outlet pipe and delivers the same to thewater-inlet pipe.

3. In a compressor,.the combination with the vertical water-inlet pipe,of the vertical water-outlet pipe, the curved joint connecting the lowerend of the pipes, the air-escape Aopenings formed in the` curved joint,airchambers with which said openings communicate, a receiver locatedabove the curved joint, air-pipe connections between the receiver andthe said air-chambers, the cups -itted to move within the passage-wayformed by the water-inlet and water-outlet pipes and the curved joint,the open hopper secured to to the upper end of the water-outlet pipe, anendless traveling carrier or conveyer arranged to receive the cups asdischarged from the water-outlet pipe into the hopper and convey thesame to the water-inlet pipe, and of the chute secured to thewater-inlet pipe into which the cups are discharged from the endlesscarrier.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence ot' twowitnesses, this 7th day of January, 1897.

FRANCIS M. GRAHAM. Witnesses:

N. A. ACKER, LEE D. CRAIG.

